December 22, 2016
Investigators have determined that a fire aboard a USMC F-35B fighter this past October could be traced back to an insecure bracket in the weapons bay. The loose wiring bracket led to an electrical spark, which ignited a fire in the hydraulic system.
http://www.defensenews.com/articles/f-35-chief-loose-bracket-sparked-f-35b-fire
Carrier landing trials have determined that the symbology on the F-35's helmet-mounted display is still too bright for night operations, making it difficult for the pilots to land the airplane.
http://www.dodbuzz.com/2016/12/21/f-35-helmet-blinds-pilots-night-flights/
In response to complaints from President-elect Donald Trump, the F-35 program chief, Lt. Gen. Chris Bogdan has emphasized that airplane unit costs have continued to fall as production slowly ramps-up.
http://www.defenseone.com/business/2016/12/general-fires-back-trump-f-35-not-out-control-just-needs-another-half-billion/134033/
Rumors continue to circulate that China is preparing for flight test of a purported stealth bomber, labeled the H-20.
https://sputniknews.com/military/201612211048852828-china-prepares-secretive-h-20/
Russia's Sukhoi has released fresh pictures of its T-50 stealth fighter prototype, as the aircraft inches towards production-ready status.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/19/europe/russia-new-stealth-fighter-jet-t-50/index.html
Japan has approved a record $44 billion defense budget for 2017, which includes investments for the supply of F-35 fighters and new submarines.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/22/asia/japan-defense-budget/
India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has officially floated a tendor for the supply of active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar systems for the Mark-1A version of India's Light Combat Aircraft. The Indian military has placed an order for 83 of the new fighters.
http://thediplomat.com/2016/12/india-floats-radar-tender-for-light-combat-aircraft/
Israel's air force has selected Raytheon's APG-82(V)1 AESA radar to upgrade its F-15I fleet. Israel's F-15Is were delivered in the 1990s, prior to the introduction of an AESA radar for the F-15.
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/israel-selects-raytheon-radar-for-f-15i-fleet-432590/
Boeing's first prototype for its entry into the T-X advanced fighter trainer competition has made its first flight. Boeing is partnered with Saab to develop the all-new trainer design, which features a General Electric F404 engine.
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/boeing-and-saab-complete-first-t-x-flight-432611/
No comments:
Post a Comment